Dom and the Midwinter Gift
by Mage of Dragons
Summary: UPDATED FOR XMAS 2007! Dom and Kel's search for the perfect gifts...A little KD fluff for Christmas...Enjoy, KD lovers!
1. Dom's Gift

**_A/N: Merry Christmas, Everyone!!_**

When wrapped, the little box might have seemed a mere trifle, but for Domitan of Masbolle, this small gift had been the object of several months' effort, not to mention considerable blackmailing, wheedling, and charm.

Looking back, this might not have been the _smartest _Midwinter gift ever given. Surely he could have gotten something much better for the same amount of gold and effort. Still, he hoped that it would be worth it. It had to be.

He never could have imagined what he would have had to do for Meathead to get this one simple gift. Nevertheless, he had put up with all of the mindless and menial tasks, the chores, and the insults. Neal had constantly driven up the bargain, knowing that he would have no one else to turn to. What other mage could he trust (he couldn't really trust Meathead, either, but at least he still had a stockpile of blackmail on him) with so intimate a thing?

It would have to be perfect. He had been planning this ever since his return from Scanra. He had beaten around the bush, avoided her, made some lame excuses, but finally promised himself that he would do _something _by Midwinter.

Now, all he had to do was leave the little box on Kel's doorstep. Simple, one would think. However, his nerves (since when did he, Domitan of Masbolle, have _nerves?)_ complicated the matter a hundredfold. His knees jangled nervously as he walked down towards her quarters. He hoped that she was not awake. All he needed was to have her hear and confront him.

However, luck, if nothing else, was on his side. The little present, wrapped in a red silk handkerchief, sat on the floor like a tiny button. He had considered writing _To Kel _on the front, but had not, for fear his handwriting might give the present away before the time was right.

Now, all he had to do was wait until morning. It turned out to be much more difficult than he expected.

Even though it was Midwinter, a holiday, Kel awoke at dawn. She did a quick pattern dance—she didn't want to waste energy when she knew that she would be up all night, participating in the festivities with her friends.

She had washed and dressed, when Tobe burst into her room.

"Happy Midwinter, Kel!" he shouted. "Thank you for the gloves, and the boots, and the books, and the sweets!"

She chuckled. "You're welcome, Tobe."

"I brought you this," he shoved a paper-wrapped package into her hands. "And these were outside," More presents were shoved into her arms. Tobe, still retaining some of his shyness, had already fled outside, not even waiting for her to open the gift in front of him. She placed the gifts on the bed, and sat down to open them. First, from Tobe, was a watercolor of a horse. It was beautiful.

She opened all of the other gifts, one by one, until she came to a small one, wrapped daintily in a russet red handkerchief. _My favorite color, _she thought. But who hadn't she received a gift from?

Someone sprang to mind, but she daren't get her hopes up. Inside the handkerchief she found a leather and metal box, the kind of jeweler's case that rings were purchased in.

She opened the box. There was nothing inside. The black velvet pad was the only thing that she saw in the morning sunlight.

"What?" Was this a prank? She was hardly a page, to be harassed by her peers. Suddenly, a voice appeared, as if out of nowhere. It was soft, almost a whisper, but pleasantly warm. She knew it immediately.

"Hi, Kel. Midwinter Luck," It was Dom. Suddenly, she felt phantom lips touch her cheeks in a kiss. "I love you."

By the time she could reach up with an incredulous hand and touch her cheek, Dom's voice was gone. She smiled, feeling warm all over. It was the best Midwinter gift she had ever received.


	2. Kel's Gift

**_A/N: So I had deen wondering exactly what sort of Christmasfic to give everyone THIS year, becuase I wasn't sure if I could pull the same sort of fluff out of my hat again. But, this idea had been bouncing around in my head for a while now... because, what exactly could Kel give Dom that would top/equal that gift? I hadn't planned on posting it yet, but seeing as it turned 12:00 while I was writing it, and it is now officially Christmas Eve, I thought I'd give y'all an early gift, since I won't be around a computer for most of tomorrow. So, Merry Christmas! (and insert all other politically correct holiday greetings here...I'm a Christian by birth, atheist by choice, and I respect everyone's beliefs, but, honestly, I'm too tired to think right now.)

* * *

_**It was almost Midwinter, and Kel was in a panic. She had managed to find gifts for all of her other friends, but, somehow, a present for one…certain person still eluded her. She had perused the markets of Corus a hundred times, but everything that she had seen was too common, too ordinary, not special enough for the one person she desperately wanted to give the best gift to…Dom. 

She had bought and tossed aside countless bags of sweets, rejected several blades, and thrown over a dozen of carefully-written letters into the trash. She needed a gift for tomorrow… and she was completely out of ideas. She was ready to scream. Instead, she forced her Yamani mask in place, and instead settled for flicking her quill across the room at Jump, who promptly pounced on it, and began to claw at the feather.

"Oh, Jump," she sighed, "what am I going to do?" It was hard to admit, but she, Keladry of Mindelan, Lady Knight of Tortall, Commander of New Hope, former Squire of Raoul of Goldenlake and Malorie's Peak, was, completely and utterly out of ideas.

"It's hopeless," she said to herself, seeing that Jump, intent on devouring the quill, was not much of an audience. She couldn't ask anyone for advice on what to get him, not even Neal, because that would require her to admit exactly _why _this gift had to be so special. And she wasn't ready to do that. Not yet. She was Tortall's second Lady Knight. Who was she to be so put out but such a silly little thing like a hopeless crush?

And yet, here she was. Despite the fact that Dom could have any woman he wanted (and, she told herself, it certainly wouldn't be her) she was sitting at her desk, flustered and frustrated by her lack of a special gift. It was infuriating, to be honest.

"Why can't I just find a gift?" she asked for the umpteenth time. Just then, a small, blond head poked through the doorway.

"Lady?" Tobe asked in his small boy's voice, "Are you still looking for a gift for Sergeant Dom?" a small blush lit on his cheeks; he was embarrassed at making such an observations. Grown-ups made such a big deal over "love"… why couldn't they just be straight about it?

Kel fought her own urge to blush. Of course Tobe would have noticed her attraction to Dom; he was practically her small blonde shadow, these days. "Yes, Tobe. I still don't have a gift for him. Why do you ask?" She questioned patiently.

"Well…" he said, slowly stepping out into the doorway, clutching something behind his back, "Because I thought that, maybe, you might want to use this." He thrust what Kel saw to be a canvas at her hands. Turning it over, she let out a small gasp at the picture before her.

"Tobe, you did this?" she asked incredulously.

"Most I did myself. Mister Lor-" he named an artist who was currently staying in New Hope, "helped me with th' faces an' such. I couldnta done 'em myself," he said, slipping back to his commoner tongue in his embarrassment.

"It's absolutely beautiful." Kel assured him quietly. And it _was. _The watercolor she held in her hand was a blush of soft colors, a lush summer landscape. In the center of it all, she and Dom sat, perched on one of the half-formed walls pf New Hope. Dom was gesturing broadly, his face alight with pleasure as he told some story or joke, and her own face was focused completely on his, her own face showing equal rapture. It was so beautiful, and so perfect, that she couldn't feel embarrassed that such an intimate moment had been captured by another person, nonetheless Tobe.

"It's perfect, Tobe. Thank you so much," he murmured a quiet "welcome" before fleeing back towards the hall. Tobe still did not deal well with praise or embarrassment.

Kel turned back to the canvas she held. Her hands were trembling slightly, so she placed it carefully on the desk. Steeling herself, she picked up another quill, inked it, and wrote on the back of the painting, _"Dom- These moments are the ones that I enjoy the most. Thank you for all that you have given me in these past years. Happy Midwinter." _Her hand hovered for a moment, unable to decide how to end the script, but in the end, settled for signing it simply, "_Kel." _Now, all she needed to do was send it.

* * *

Dom was back in his rooms, leaning against a wall, his heart racing slightly. So far, everything had gone well-- there had been no scream of rage emanating from the Lady Knight's rooms so far this morning, which he figured was a good sign. In his hands, he clutched the only gift he truly wanted to open-- it was wrapped in blue and silver wrapping paper, a large, square gift with the tag "To Dom, From Kel" scrawled across the front.

He took a deep breath before starting to unwrap the paper. He hoped that he had not acted too quickly in giving Kel his gift-- he hoped and prayed that she felt the same. And he hoped that this gift would confirm it.

He split the paper down the middle, pulling the paper off the gift completely. In his hands lay a canvas. On the back, a simple note was written in Kel's unmistakable handwriting. Turning it over, he gasped. He held in his hands a beautiful painting of himself and Kel-- sharing exactly one of the kinds of moments he hoped to have with her for the rest of his life.

With a relieved sigh, he sank back against the wall. He had chosen right about his gift after all…

* * *

**_A/N: So, it wasn't as fluffy, but, hey, I thought it was dece. Anyway, there may be another chapter to this fic, (because, after this, Kel and Dom HAVE to get together) and it will either be posted on Christmas Day (more presents) or you may have to wait for next Christmas... hahaha, I'm so mean XD. Anyway, leave a review and let me know what you think._**


End file.
